Shooting Star Lovers: Uncut
by BassDS
Summary: The main purpose of this story's creation is to contain the original, mature-themed chapters of Shooting Star Lovers; if you'd prefer a cleaner experience, stick with the actual story upload, if not, then enjoy the extra content that was cut out from the original chapter uploads.
1. Ch6 Prologue, Part 6

Hey everyone, it's BassDS here, back with the final chapter to the Prologue arc of Shooting Star Lovers, with this being the original uncut chapter I had envisioned...so you're probably wondering: why the hell make a new story upload just for one chapter? A-hah! That's where you're wrong; this story's main focus is to house the original chapter drafts with a good number of mature scenes. As for the other reason why I'm doing this...

First off, the story from this point originally shifted to an M Rating because I wanted to have some more maturer content, mostly filled with some 'steamy' scenes (insert evil chuckle), but looking back now, that process very well screwed the original upload because by default, doesn't show M rated fanfics right off the bat; only K-T, so in the end, even though I did upload a bit after this point, I can see now that the move wasn't entirely the best idea.

So going forward, Shooting Star Lovers will remain a T rated story that way everyone has access to it; HOWEVER, seeing as I'm stubborn as all hell and don't want to abandon my original mature scenes content, you will be able to view the uncut chapters right here so that way if you'd prefer the chapters that have more content because of those certain scenes, you'll have easy access to them.

So now with that out of the way, let's get this last speed bump out of the way so we can get back on track, shall we? I hope you all enjoy it, everyone.

* * *

Shooting Star Lovers

Ch.6 Prologue, Part 6 – Four Simple Words

* * *

The annoying buzz pierced through his sleep as Geo woke up and groggily turned off the alarm on his VG Brace before wiping away the remnant of his sleep from his eyes.

"Why do I keep setting my alarm even though I'm on winter break?" he asked himself as he looked to the skylight in his room. "Force of habit, I guess..."

He opened up the VG interface to find Mega still sound asleep. Geo was even amazed that Mega could have slept through that noise.

"I won't wake him up just yet." he smiled as he placed his hunter down and moved up to his skylight's window to look outside. "Wow...it's coming down pretty fast. Well, with only two days before Christmas, at least it'll be a white one.

If anything had changed over the years, it was the climate. Normally Echo Ridge had never even had snow, but nowadays they were graced with a pretty good amount. Seeing the white fluffy stuff fall down brought Geo back to when he first experienced it all those years ago atop Grizzly Peak.

"Shouldn't cause too much of a problem." he said as his VG Brace went off to alert him to a video call.

"Ugh...can you PLEASE get that?" Mega groaned out as the noise woke him up.

" _NOW he wakes up."_ Geo thought and smiled to himself as he moved down to answer it; his mom and dad appearing on the screen.

"Hey, kiddo. Hope we didn't catch you at a bad time." Kelvin said.

"Nah, just woke up. Are you guys still at the station?" he asked.

"About that...I don't think we'll be home in time for Christmas, honey." Hope added in. "The snow is pretty bad over here. We're getting a different train for later this week when weather lightens up."

"Well that's a big damper on the plans we had. So are you guys going back to Grandpa's?" Geo asked.

"It looks like it. I'm sure he won't mind the extended company." Kelvin chuckled a bit.

"We WILL be back before New Year's though, even if we have to drive in whatever this mess leaves laying around." finished Hope.

"Just stay safe. That's all I care about." Geo replied.

"Soooo...have you asked her yet?" Hope said as she grinned at her son.

"Not yet...I was thinking of asking her tonight at the party..." he said as his mind trailed back to the talk they had just a few days prior.

~Flashback: Four Days Ago~

" _Do I really want to do this?" Geo said to himself as he laid on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Am I even ready?"_

 _His eyes gazed over to the picture of him and Sonia on one of their many dates. They had been together for about 7 months, and they both knew they were madly in love with one another. That thought was reinforced by the fact that during their struggle against Gemini Genesis, Sonia was willing to sacrifice herself to protect him and ensure Gemini's destruction. Granted he still didn't remember much of that day. All he remembered was getting knocked out one minute and waking up bandaged in his room the next._

 _Mega looked over at his partner being lost in thought. Even if he had said something, he doubted it would have snapped him out of it. Finally..._

" _Hey. You still alive in there?" Mega said as he tapped Geo's forehead with one of his fingers._

" _Huh? Oh, sorry Mega. Did you say something?"_

" _What's gotten into you? You've been like this ever since break started." he replied._

" _I'm just thinking..."_

" _Sonia." he said as he place his head in his claw and propped it up._

" _Guess I make it pretty obvious, don't I?" he replied as he thought about the dark pink haired girl._

" _Yep."_

" _Geo! We're home!" Geo rose up as he heard his mother's voice echo from downstairs._

" _Perfect timing..." he said as he jumped off his bed and headed down._

" _Just put them on the couch for now, dear." Hope said as Kelvin lugged a bunch of wrapped gifts in and placed them down._

" _You REALLY love to get your shopping done last minute, don't you?" her husband asked._

" _Well hey, sometimes you can find some really good deals when its just a week away from Christmas." she said and moved over to kiss his cheek. "My big strong man. Thanks for bringing them in."_

" _You sure you got enough, mom?" Geo asked looking at the small mountain._

" _Well I sure hope so. Because I am NOT going back out in that massacre." Kelvin said as he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge._

" _Oh, before I forget." she said as she dug through her purse and pulled out two tickets. "We're going to be leaving you to watch the house for a few days. We should be back before Christmas."_

" _Where are you guys heading?"_

" _Well I figured me and your dad would check up on your great-grandfather and see how he is."_

" _Even in a home, for a 90-year old man, Patch sure gets around." Kelvin said taking a drink of his water._

" _So what about you? Did you get your shopping done?" Hope asked._

" _Yeah, I pretty much bought everyone something within the price range I had...well, except for Sonia..." he said as he placed his arms down and propped his head up on the counter._

" _Came up short a bit, eh?" Kelvin said_

" _No...I mean, I have something in mind...but money isn't the issue..."_

" _Ohh...planning something special for her, aren't you?" Hope grinned. "I don't want to butt in, but can I help?" she clasped her hands together. When it came to her son's love interest, she ALWAYS wanted to know every detail. Who can blame her; aren't ALL moms like that?_

" _Actually, Mom...you can." Geo said as he took a moment to breathe in and collect the words in his head. "Can I have the engagement ring that Dad gave you?"_

" _My ring?" Hope looked down at the gold band lined with a diamond in the middle as she did a double take before the words finally hit her. "AHHHH!"_

 _That quick reaction nearly made_ _Kelvin choke on his water as he had taken a sip just as his wife screamed out._

" _Geo Stelar, tell me you're not kidding!? Are you really going to propose?" she asked._

" _Whosajigawha?" Mega asked, finding himself a bit dumbfounded at the concept._

" _Well, that kinda was the plan, Mom." he said._

" _You sure about this Geo? I mean, you're only halfway through your first year of college. You really think you're ready to take a leap this big?" Kelvin asked as he finally collected himself._

 _Hope finally was able to calm herself down as well. "Your father is right, Geo. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? I mean, this is a life commitment here. There's no getting cold feet at the last moment."_

" _It just feels right to me, Mom...Sonia's had her fair share of things happen to her that she shouldn't have had to go through alone. And I want to be right next to her and make sure she never has to be alone ever again. Making her happy is what makes me happy. I'm absolutely sure: I want to marry Sonia." he said looking up at his mother's eyes and could make out tears forming in them._

 _It was plain as day to Hope; her son was finally ready to make his own life._

" _Looks like it's time to let the bird leave the nest, dear. There's no getting around it." Kelvin said as he moved up behind her and place his hand on her shoulder. "This is his decision, and from what I can see in his eyes, he's determined to do it._

 _All Hope could do was let out a sigh as she smiled down at her son._

" _You win." she said as her fingers moved to the gold band and slid it off her finger as she placed it in Geo's hand. "Go get my future daughter-in-law, young man." she smiled happily._

~End Flashback~

"Just remember to relax and stay calm." Kelvin said as he added in. "You don't want to embarrass yourself."

"Oh, you mean just like you did? If I recall, you flubbed your lines up and it wasn't until I kissed you and took the ring that you finally managed to get it out properly." she replied smugly to her husband.

"I don't think I'll mess up." Geo said as he forced a small laugh out. "Anyway, I'll talk to you guys later. I've got a few things to do before tonight."

"Alright dear, just remember to keep calm and just say what comes natural. I'm sure even IF you mess up, Sonia will say yes anyway." Hope smiled as she looked back to Kelvin.

"I will. Stay safe, you guys." Geo said as he ended the call and placed his hunter down on the nightstand and moved over to his closet and pulled out a red sweatshirt and black pants from his wardrobe. "Should be comfortable enough for tonight. Speaking of which, I better get a few things done before the party." he said and looked back over to Mega, quickly finding the alien fast asleep again.

Geo turned as he looked out the window. Lately, he had been feeling a little uneasy about asking Sonia to marry him. What if he was rushing things...? He was starting to second guess himself and the whole proposal. His mind was now filled with doubt, and it scared him.

"Do I really want to do this?" he questioned himself as he cradled his head in his hand and tried to sort his feelings out.

* * *

Hope closed out the video window as she and Kelvin walked out of the station and waited for the next cab to pull up into the parking lot.

"It feels like just yesterday I was bathing him, taking him to the park and cleaning up his messes after dinner..." she said as a tear formed in her eye from the thought.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Kelvin said.

"Now my little boy doesn't need me anymore..."

"Nah, he'll always need you. You're his mother. But look on the bright side...at least we'll probably have some grandkids running around in the near future." he said to attempt to brighten her mood.

"Now I feel older than I am." she said looking up at her husband and shot a mild glare.

"Just trying to make you feel better about things."

"I know you are, you big lug." she said as gently kissed him. "But seriously, I don't mind being a grandmother, but I am NOT ready to have any gray hairs. Gray just isn't me." she said as he felt her smooth hair.

* * *

Later that night, Geo began placing the presents he had bought into a large bag and zipped it up nice and tight as he set them on the couch and began to get the lights turned out before he left.

"You know, since you're lugging presents around on the way over, we might as well grab a red suit and stuff some pillows in your shirt to make you look like the big guy." Mega said as Geo switched the last light off.

"I think Ace is taking care of that. From what I heard from Jack, Tia forced him into it JUST so Alexis could see Santa bring presents to her. I guess they felt bad for her after she fell asleep for the past three years waiting for Santa to come." Geo laughed a bit as he flipped the last light before grabbing the bag from the couch.

"So the wave road is it then?" Mega asked.

"Well, it IS the fastest way, and no, you can't bust any viruses on the way. I don't want to be late. And besides, we've got Sonia and Lyra coming with us anyway. Maybe tomorrow."

"Ugh...fine. I'll settle with the ones above WAZA's wave roads. I'm sure Acidna will want to kill some time too. Besides, now that I think about it, I've a score to settle with him." Mega said. "So, you gonna ask her?"

Geo sat down on the couch next to the bag as his hand landed atop his forehead as his mind trailed back to the proposal in his mind.

"Part of me feels ready, but the other half just doesn't want to take the risk...I mean, Sonia's the closest thing to a childhood friend I have, considering I preferred to play by myself most of the time when I was little. Then there was the shutdown after Dad went missing."

"Are you just over-thinking things?"

"You wouldn't understand, Mega. Sonia means so much to me, and I want to be with her, but I also don't want to risk pushing her away."

"You've stared down Andromeda, Le Mu, Apollon, even that Crimson Dragon, yet you're too scared to just say a simple question? Seriously, Geo, grow a spine." Mega added.

"Just put a sock in it, Mega. I don't have time for this..." Geo bemoaned as he rubbed his forehead before a small knock was heard coming from the door.

"Better start growing that spine." Mega said as he retreated to the VG Ring as Geo got up to answer the door; the bag of presents in his hand.

"Just take it easy, Geo...focus, remain calm..." he whispered to himself as he turned the doorknob as he eyes landed upon Sonia's petite face.

"Well, aren't you Santa's little helper? I hope one of those is for me." Sonia said as she looked upon her boyfriend as he opened the door to greet her. She wore a pink coat that covered the black sweatshirt she wore along with matching pants. But aside from that was the Santa hat she wore that was adorned with reindeer horns.

"Maybe~" he said. "Want me to carry those? I'm already at it anyway." he asked as he looked at the bag Sonia held in her hand. He did his best to put on a good face and conceal his worryment.

"Such a gentleman." she said handing it to him as she pecked him on the lips.

"Can we go now?" Mega asked.

"Behave, you." Lyra said and hit his head.

"Oww...alright...sheesh..."

"Well, we better get going if we want to be there on time." Geo said as he transformed into Mega Man and jump toward the wave road.

"Well, I AM not one for being late. Especially to a party." Sonia replied as she turned into Harp Note and followed suit.

* * *

"Come on, big red man..I'm waiting for ya..." Alexis said as she kept her eye on the huge tree that stood in the middle of the foyer.

"She sure is hellbent, isn't she?" Jack said as he looked on at his young niece.

"Are you kidding me? I went through the fridge this morning and found a six pack of soda and some of Ace's snacks missing." Tia said as she set the trays of food on the table. '"With all the caffeine she hijacked and has hidden, she WILL be up all night."

"That's my little girl." Ace said as he entered the room with Dr. Goodall.

"Well she certainly acts like you at times." Goodall replied.

"Speaking of which on those snacks, Santa..." Tia said as she moved over to Ace and poked his thin stomach. How he kept it like that with all the Mega Snacks he ate mystified her. "Come New Years, you ARE going on a diet with those things. You know too much of that stuff can't be good for you; even if you stay in shape."

"Better start making a secret stash." Jack laughed at his brother-in-law. "Unless..."

"Kissing up to me isn't going to work, either. I've learned my mistake in falling for that." Tia said making her stand on the matter.

"So I take it we're the first ones here?" came a voice as they looked over to see Luna and Zack enter the building.

"Looks like it." Jack said as he picked up a piece of pie and took a bite out of it.

"Odd...I figured Bud would be here first." Luna said as she looked around for him.

"He said he had to head over to Grizzly Peak today."

"Don't tell me it was another eating contest at Foodtopia again..." Luna rolled her eyes at the thought.

"He didn't say, to be honest." Zack replied. "Besides, the contest was last month anyway."

"That is true. My data banks clearly remember him winning with the fastest time among all the competitors." Pedia added.

"Well feel free to dig in while we wait." Ace suggested as he swiped the piece of pie Jack was holding out of his hand.

"Hey, that's the last slice of strawberry. Give it back." Jack retorted.

"Make me, little brother." Ace grinned as he opened his mouth to eat it.

"Give me back...my pie!" Jack cried as he jumped on Ace's back; legs wrapped around his waist as they fought for control of the pie.

"Now, now, boys, we've got more pies coming soon." Dr. Goodall said jokingly as she watched on.

"I swear, these two are going to make my hair turn gray before I'm fifty." Tia groaned as her husband and brother continued to war over the pie.

"Hey, Prez, did Geo say when he was getting here?" Zack asked as they moved over to the table lined with food and grabbed their plates.

"I messaged him his morning, he said he would be here around 8:30 with Sonia." she said as she looked at the clock on her VG Ring as the display showed 8:02.

No sooner had she said that, a blue blur phased through the ceiling as Mega Man landed in the foyer; Harp Note appearing just seconds behind him.

"Looks like I win." He grinned as he fell back onto the floor with the bag in hand and reverted to normal.

"I'll give you that one." she replied as she changed back as well. "But next time you WON'T win.

"Glad you could drop in. Literally, might I add." Ace said as their appearance distracted him, causing Jack to dart his head to the pie in Ace's hand and downing it in one gulp. "Hey, my pie!"

"Well, now then, if you don't mind..." Mega said as he exited Geo's VG Ring and stretched out for a moment before calling Acid out. "Yo, Acidna, I know you can hear me; meet me on the roof, NOW! It's payback time for breaking my record." he said as he made his way to the roof.

"Why does he always feel the need to be so loud?" Lyra said as she flicked the front of her hair gently as she watched him leave. "Makes me wonder what I even see in him..." she sighed, earning a giggle from Sonia as Geo picked himself off the floor and dusted himself off.

Luna looked down at her VG Ring as Vogue jumped up and down happily as she retreated into her little hat and pulled out a piece of mail.

"Oh, I got a message from Bud." she said as she had Vogue open it up as her eyes scanned the text.

"What's he say?" Zack asked.

"Well, he got snowed in at Grizzly Peak, but he said he would just take the EM Road and come to the party for tonight." she said as she closed it out. "Thank you, Vogue." she said, earning a happy reply from the bunny-like Wizard.

"Well, until then, let's eat. I haven't had anything all day." Geo exclaimed. "The presents can wait until we're all here."

* * *

"Alexis, are you sure you don't want any of my cake?" Sonia asked as she knelt down to the little girl; her eyes still glued to the tree.

"No cake. Waiting for Santa..." she replied before taking a large swig of her can of soda.

Sonia giggled as she rose up and sat on the small couch next to the tree.

"She certainly is determined, isn't she?" Luna said as she sat down beside Sonia before taking a drink of her tea.

"Well, we were all like that once, I suppose." Sonia remarked with a smile, thinking back to the times she would try to stay up late on Christmas Eve.

"So how's things been going with you two?"

"We've been doing fine. We're just taking things one day at a time. No need to rush it or anything." Sonia replied.

"I don't mean to pry...but have you..." Luna began to say.

"W-what? No, of course not...I mean...I'm ready, but I'm not sure if Geo is or not." Sonia said as her face grew red with embarrassment.

"Well, haven't you asked him?"

"That's like asking a cow to bark instead of mooing." she retorted, her face still red.

"Well...what about marriage?" Luna asked. "I mean, sure you've only been together for half a year, but you've known one another for much longer."

"I haven't really thought about it...I'm fine the way things are now. But...if he was to ask me to marry him, I'm prepared to face that life, even if I'm nervous about it."

"I'd say Geo would probably feel the same way you do on the matter; it's an unknown future that you'd both face together." Luna replied with a smile before the words she had spoken hit her like a rock. "Oh my...sorry I put you on the spot like that." she replied nervously.

"Heh...no, don't be. You're right. I need to start thinking about mine and Geo's future together...I've thought about it a lot, but I wasn't too sure with myself...I guess a part of me is scared of messing up and losing him forever."

"Oh please...as if Geo would EVER leave you." Luna laughed as Sonia quietly chuckled along with her.

"Maybe you're right..." Sonia muttered to herself as she looked up and saw Geo across the room as he talked with Jack.

"Well, FINALLY. What took you so long?" Zack asked as Bud walked through the doors into the foyer.

"Well sorry...it's not easy racing down the Wave Roads while keeping a passenger warm." Bud replied as he took his coat off.

"Passenger?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow as she got up off the couch with Sonia following suit.

"Hiya!" came a calm happy voice as a young woman with long brown hair and a yellow band popped up from behind him, smiling wide, revealing her chipmunk-like front two teeth.

"Amy!?" Zack exclaimed upon seeing the professional skier.

"In the flesh." she smiled.

"I hope you don't mind me being late, but I really wanted to bring her here with me. But once the buses were shut down due to the heavy snow up there, it was already kinds late when we left on the Wave Road." Bud added.

"Silly soft stuff. Won't stop me." Taurus said as he emerged from Bud's VG Ring. "Hey Bud, I think I saw Omega-Xis on the roof. I'll catch you later. I've got a score to settle." he said before warping away to meet Mega and Acid atop the building.

Sonia walked over to Geo as he moved to the small gathering as well.

"Who's that, Geo?"

"Amy Gelande. She's a world-renowned skier. We actually met her at the resort her dad owns back during that whole Dr. Vega incident." he replied to her.

"It's great to see you again, Zack. Bud told me you look so much different now than you did all those years ago." Amy stated happily.

"I saw that you ended up winning the gold last year at the World Games. Congratulations."

"Oh, it was nothing."

"Are you kidding me? I heard you tore those slopes up." Geo added in.

"How have you been, Geo?" Amy asked. "I mean, besides saving the world and all." she smiled.

"Ancient history. It's been nice and quiet around here, and hopefully things stay that way."

Amy laughed as she looked over and saw Sonia standing next to him, and almost immediately she ran over and grab her hand; her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"You're Sonia Strumm, aren't you?" she asked.

"Guilty as charged." she replied nervously and was met with a squeal.

"I have ALL of your soundtracks. I listen to them when I need inspiration for some new moves out on the slopes." she happily said as she turned to Bud. "Bud sweetie, why didn't you tell me you knew a famous pop star?"

"Sweetie?" Geo, Zack and Luna said in unison.

"Well, it was kind of a complicated matter, Amy." Bud tried to say, before Zack cut him off.

"Back to the subject at hand, Bud...she called you 'sweetie'." he said to him.

"Well, it's better than Budikens, isn't it?" Amy replied as she wrapped both her arms around Bud's big arm. "Besides, he IS my fiancee' after all."

"I'm sorry...I think my ear was clogged...mind running that by me again?" Luna asked sarcastically.

"I'm engaged to Bud." Amy smiled happily as she took one of her gloves off, revealing a small gold ring. "he proposed to me yesterday."

"But...I mean, it's...how did this happen?" Zack asked, wanting some answers.

"Well...I went to last year's food contest at Foodtopia and ran into Amy, and we sort of hit it off...I told her how I felt for the past couple of years..."

"And I did the same. Ever since he helped save me up on the peaks...I've felt like Bud's been a part of me ever since. So when he asked, I said yes. Although Daddy was a little worried at first, but I'm his only child, so I figured he'd be a little overprotective." Amy added.

"Well, all I can say is good luck to you both." Luna said as she took a sip of her tea.

"Same here. Good luck to the both of you." Zack joined in as well.

Geo could only look on at Bud and Amy as he placed his hand in his pocket and felt the ring within it, his mind trailing back to the simple question in the back of his head, until Sonia snapped him out of his daze.

"They make a pretty cute couple, don't they?" Sonia smiled gently as she wrapped her arm over Geo's and intertwined their hands.

"Yeah...yeah, I suppose they do." Geo said absently.

"Geo, something wrong?" Sonia asked. She sensed something was amiss with him.

"Nah, I'm fine. Just wondering how Mom and Dad are doing." he said, regaining his composure and tried to put up a good face for Sonia.

Sonia looked up at him gently. "You sure, you seem on-edge. You can tell me, Geo."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." he smiled as he held her close, trying his best not to let his thoughts clouding his mind enough to worry her.

"If you say so..." she said as she rested her head on his shoulder. Even though she said that, a part of her still felt that something was obviously troubling him.

* * *

"Oh yeah! Record reclaimed!" Mega exclaimed as he saw the virus-busting numbers show he had a higher score than Acid and Taurus.

"This is highly illogical." Acid stated.

"You HAD to have cheated somehow." Taurus said with a hint of anger.

"Well I don't cheat. That was all me!" he cried out in victory. "Feel free to take me on any time." he gloated.

* * *

Alexis was fast asleep in front of the tree as Ace walked out in his Santa outfit, only to find his daughter sleeping soundly.

"Well...feels like it was a waste to put this on..." he sighed as he picked her up in his arms. "Bedtime for you." he chuckled a bit as he headed toward the stairs.

"So what's next for you, Bud?" Geo asked as they looked out the window as the snow fell gently.

"I'm going into culinary school. Amy's dad is actually going to be helping me in paying for my student loans for all the classes. It's going to take a while, but I know I can pull it off." Bud stated. "What about you? How's college been going for you?"

"It's been okay. Once I'm done with my second year, I can start working at AMAKEN with my dad, and then when I finish up, hopefully I can head out into space with him."

"Hey Geo..I was wondering something..." Bud began to speak up as Geo turned to him. "Think you wouldn't mind being my best man at the wedding?"

"Not at all, Bud. You're my friend, so I'm glad to help." Geo said as he yawned gently.

"Heh, sounds like you're ready to hit the hay." Bud chuckled.

"He's not the only one." came Sonia's voice as she walked up to Geo and kissed his cheek. "Ready to go?"

"Very. I'm ready to get some shut-eye." Geo replied as he looked at his VG Ring to find Mega asleep with a smirk smile on his face. "Looks like someone has a head start." he said as he and Sonia headed out the door.

"Guess I'll catch you guys later." Bud said as he looked over and saw Amy curled up on the couch. "Come on, let's get you home, snow-bunny." he smiled as he picked her up and admired her calm face as she slept.

* * *

All was quiet in Echo Ridge as the two made their way back to Sonia's apartment. The silent ambiance was complimented by the white snow falling from the sky as the two walked hand in hand.

"It was fun spending time with everybody...it seems like we never have the time to do so nowadays." Sonia spoke as she looked up to the night sky.

"Hmm?...oh yeah, I suppose so..." Geo said, his eyes staring at the sidewalk; his thoughts being elsewhere at the moment as he carefully darted his eyes to the hand he had in his pocket as it gripped the small ring within.

Sonia took note of his tone and stopped in her tracks as her hand held firmly onto Geo's.

"Sonia?"

"Geo, what's wrong? You say you're fine but I can tell something's off with you. Please...tell me what's wrong..." her innocent eyes looked up into his as he noticed the look of concern for him on her face.

"It's nothing, really...I just have a lot on my mind right now..."

"Don't lie to me!" she yelled as she gripped his arm. "I know something's wrong...or am I not important enough for you to confide your problems in? Is that it!?" she cried as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"No, that's not it...you know you're one of the first people I'd go to if something was bothering me." he said gently, trying to calm her down.

"Then trust me, Geo. Relationships are built on trust, but if you won't even trust in me enough to tell me why you've been on edge and lying to me about what's bothering you, then what kind of a relationship do we have if you won't let me help you?" she cried, letting her emotions get the best of her.

Her eyes gazed up into his as she fought to hold back even more tears.

"It's not that easy..."

"If you can't trust in me enough to let me help...then maybe we shouldn't be together..." she said as she kept her head down and began to walk away.

"Sonia, wait!" he said as he grabbed her wrist and held on to stop her from leaving. "I trust you; I really do...it's just...this is far more than a trivial matter..."

"I don't want to hear it anymore..." she said as she jerked her wrist from his grip. "I need to be alone." she murmured as she ran off toward her apartment as the floodgates opened and tears cascaded down her face; her heart hurting deeply.

"Sonia!" Geo cried out as he watched her run out of sight; he looked down at his hand and clenched it up into a fist as he became angry with himself; his stubbornness had caused him to push away the one he loved, all because he couldn't act out on the feelings he desperately wanted to pour out to her.

"I'm such an idiot..."

* * *

Sonia silently cried her heart out as she laid on her bed, clutching a pillow in her arms; her hand holding onto her heart pendant.

"Oh, Sonia..." Lyra quietly spoke as she watched on, wishing there was something she could do.

" _What am I going to do, Mama...I love him, but he won't let me help him. I want to be there for him, but he's pushing me away..."_ Sonia thought as she looked up at the picture they took during the town's fall festival last month.

Sonia closed her eyes as memories began to flash back to her; their first date at Wilshire Hills, the day they spent in Alohaha the past summer as they watched the sun setting over the horizon from the dock, even the fleeting hours they shared at Stardust Speedway, before she thought back to their first meeting as he helped her hide from her manager.

Lyra crossed her arms as she looked on, saddened that she couldn't think of anything to comfort the young woman she called her friend.

She pondered for a few moments, until the thought finally popped into her head, and she immediately cursed herself for not coming to such a conclusion sooner.

"I'll be right back, Sonia...I hate seeing you like this, so I promise to do what I can." she said quietly as she warped away out of the building.

* * *

"What the hell is wrong with me, Mega?" Geo asked as he sat down on the floor in the cab of the old locomotive that still stood in Vista Point.

"Why are you asking me? Romance isn't really my department." the Wizard replied as he laid atop the train's roof as he look up at the starry sky.

"I didn't think proposing would be this hard...it was bad enough I've felt like a nervous wreck inside for the past couple days, and now Sonia's upset at me...she probably hates me right now.

"I dunno...seems to me like you'd have to do something pretty drastic for her to hate your guts."

"Gee, thanks for the encouragement." he groaned as he pulled the ring out from his pocket and looked down at it. "What am I going to do?"

"Simple. You're going to fix this whole mess you've made." came Lyra's voice as she appeared before the young adult.

"Hey, who exactly invited you here?" Mega said as he peered into the cab from the roof through the side window. He was met with a deadly glare from Lyra. "I'll be shutting up now..." he gulped.

"Lyra..."

"How much does Sonia mean to you, Geo? Tell me now."

"She's everything to me; you know that." he said as he got up from the floor and looked up at the Wizard.

"Then why are you hurting her like this? She only wants to be there for you, and yet you keep to yourself and refuse to let her in."

"It's not that simple..." he began to retort. "This whole thing can drastically change her life, and I don't know if I want to put her in that position; I've been struggling with the thoughts of the whole idea, wondering if I'm rushing things too quickly..."

"Geo, you know as well as I do, Sonia would follow you to the ends of the earth just to be with you, and face every challenge head-on together. Isn't that something every human has to endure with the one they love?"

Geo stopped for a moment and let Lyra's words sink in. He let his mind think more into what she said, and she was right; as much as he didn't want to place Sonia into such a predicament, if she chose to stand by him in marriage at such an early part in their adult lives, it was her choice.

"Like I said, love and romance ain't my department, but as much as I hate agreeing with her...Lyra kinda has a point, kid." Mega butted in as he floated in through the window.

"I...I never even stopped to consider how she would feel. Maybe I've been hesitant because a part of me is scared she'll turn me down..." he said as he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he leaned back against the wall. "I've let my fears cloud my judgment."

"Then face those fears...for Sonia's sake." Lyra spoke gently.

Geo remained silent as he raised his arm up to active the message function on his VG Ring as he began to type on the wave display.

"Her sake..." he softly murmured as a smile formed on his face.

* * *

The snow began to lighten up as she finally reached her destination and made her way down in front of the steps to Vista Point near the school as Sonia looked up to them. She replayed the image of the email she received, telling her to come to Vista Point. She began to wonder why she even showed up. She thought back to her argument with Geo earlier in the night as she moved her hand and wiped away the dry tear lines off her cheeks. She slowly began to head up the stairs to the newly made playground that was put it earlier in the year, before making her way up the steps to the steel deck. Geo was within her sight as he leaned forward against the railing as the light post attached to the deck shone down on him.

"I'm here...What did you want to talk about, or are you just doing this to toy with me?" her voice cracked a bit as she looked over at him.

Geo just stood there silently as he gazed out at the moon as its radiant light lit the sky.

"Answer me!"

Still there was silence.

"Fine...if you're just going to stand there and waste my time, then I'm leaving. I come all the way out here and-" she spoke out with hurt in her voice, only for Geo to cut her off.

"No...I wanted to come here so I could say this and get it off my chest. It only felt appropriate."

After a minute of silence between the two, he spoke up.

"This place; it holds so many memories for me. Ever since that day Dad vanished when I was a kid, I'd always come out here and look out to the stars, hoping to see him. Hoping he would come home with each passing year. Instead of him, I run into an alien-turned-maverick, get dragged into the mess HE made, and end up having to save the world."

This made Sonia think for a bit, remembering the first time she came here and sung for her mother...then meeting Geo...and all the times they shared over the years came flooding back to her. He was right; it held good memories for her grasped her heart pendant as she thought back to everything.

"Being here, let me meet Mega, it let me meet the guys..." he said as he turned around to face her. "It let me meet you, Sonia. This is where we formed our BrotherBand; this is where you became my first friend."

This snapped Sonia out of her daze as she released her pendant from her grip before looking forward and found herself staring straight into his eyes. "Wh-what are you saying?"

Geo said nothing as he walked closer and closer to her until they were close enough to let him gaze into her emerald-green eyes.

"I've though long and hard these past few days, and I was wasn't sure on if I wanted to; because I didn't want to force you into such a position. I was confused and didn't think about what you wanted...but I'm certain now, and I want to do this; this is where we started our friendship...and this is where I want to start the rest of our lives..." he said as he took her hand in his; removing her glove and began to get down on one knee.

"G...Geo..." Sonia felt frozen in place as she watched him get down and put his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a ring as it shined in the post's light.

"This is where we became friends...and now, Sonia...this is where I want to ask you...to be my wife...will you marry me?"

Sonia stood in shock as she tried to absorb everything into her mind; she was literally frozen. Was this really happening? She had to have been dreaming, but then the chill of the air snapped her back to my senses as she looked down at Geo. It wasn't a dream; he really was asking her to be his wife...to marry him.

He stared up at Sonia as she tried to hold back her tears and sobs, her eyes locked into his gaze.

"Sonia..." he rose up so he could be with her on eye level, but as soon as he did, all she could do was cry as he gently pulled her face to his and kissed her passionately and wrapped his arms around her.

Sonia broke their kiss as she pull back enough to face him into his chocolate-colored eyes. There was only one thing she could do, and for some reason, she knew she would never regret saying this.

"Yes, Geo...I'll marry you..." she said and began to wipe away her tears, only for Geo's hand to intervene and wipe them away for her, then clasped her hand in his lightly as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"Merry Christmas, my beautiful songstress..." he pulled her in to his arms once more as he held her close. "I love you so much..."

"I love you too..." she mustered out and silently cried a bit more within their embrace.

* * *

Sonia held Geo close to her as they laid atop his bed and peered out at the skylight and watched the snow gently fall from the night sky and gather upon the window, then melting away with contact.

"Looks beautiful out there, doesn't it?" Sonia asked as she clasped his hand tightly.

"Yeah...but it doesn't compare to you." Geo replied as Sonia giggled at his remark.

"I'm sorry we fought like that, Sonia...I never meant to hurt you; I just wasn't thinking properly and I didn't consider your feelings..." he said as he intertwined their hands more.

"I'm at fault too..." she said resting her head against his chest. "I overreacted, and I just..."

"You don't need to explain." he said as he cupped her face and smiled. "What happened is done, and right now the best thing we can do is think of the future."

The two embraced one another for a bit as a thought creeped into Sonia's head.

"Hey, Geo...I was wondering..."

"Hmm?"

"How did you get my ring? Judging from the way it looks, it must have cost you a lot." she asked as she turned her head up to look at him.

"Well, it DID cost 3000z to clean it up, and another 4000z to add a little something to it. Look on the inside of it." he chuckled lightly.

Sonia slid her ring off and looked on the inside of the band and saw an engraving on it.

 **You are forever my soothing song, as I am your shooting star**

"Geo...you shouldn't have..."

"But I wanted to. To me, you're worth it, Sonia." he smiled as he pecked her lips.

"Mmm..." she said as their lips parted. "Nice try...but you're avoid the question; where did you get the ring?" she asked as she slid it back on her finger before confronting him once more on the ring's origin.

"Mom was more than happy to part with it."

"Th-this is Hope's?" she asked with a bit of shock as she looked down at it.

"The term we're looking for here is WAS...it's yours now. You should have seen her face when I asked for it."

"Well how did you expect her to act? Her only son asking for her ring to marry the girl he loves." she said and looked up at him. "She's just worried about her little boy."

"Yeah...she did kinda spoil me a lot back in the day." he chuckled at the thought. "Moms will be moms, I guess."

Sonia rested her head against Geo's chest and closed her eyes for a bit; taking in every bit of their light embrace until Geo spoke once more.

"Hey...just a thought..." Geo began.

"Hmm?"

"Think your mom would have approved of me?"

"Mama..." Sonia said, recalling her mother and the times they shared before she died, remembering how loving and caring she was. With this in mind, Sonia had her answer. "She would have loved you."

"You think?"

"What's not to like about you? You're caring, charming, thoughtful, selfless..."

"You really think so?" he asked and looked over at her.

"I know so." Sonia said as she rose up and sat on her legs and looked at him. "When Gemini used me like he did, you refused to fight because doing so would have injured me even more...even when I wanted you to finish us, you refused. All you cared about was making sure I was safe. What I said is true, Geo...you ARE all those things. Every single one."

"Sonia..." he said as he slowly propped himself up and looked at her.

"And that's what I love about you..." she said as she leaned in and kissed him passionately; Geo's arms wrapping around Sonia.

Eventually after their small make-out session, Geo broke their kiss as he looked into her eyes. "Sometimes, Sonia...words can't express how much I love you..."

Sonia took her hand and gently placed it on the side of Geo's face as she gazed back at him; her mind wandering off as she searched for the right words to speak to him before finally she spoke.

"Then prove it..." she whispered softly. "They say actions speak louder than words..."

It took Geo a moment to register her words into his head before he responded. He knew what she was asking. "Sonia...are you sure?"

"I am...I want to be with you in every way possible, Geo; mentally and physically...please, I want you to make love to me..."

Geo suddenly found himself in a very surreal position. Sitting in front of him was a girl he had known for the past 8 years, one he had grown to call a friend, and now was the one he loved deeply enough for him to ask for her hand in marriage, and here she was; wanting to give her mind, body and soul to him. He could see it. Her eyes burned with a fiery passion; she wanted to experience the love they had for one another at its highest form possible.

"Are you sure this is something you want, Sonia? I know something like this is usually..." he spoke up, before a feeling of embarrassment impeded his speech. He at least knew this sacred act was normally reserved for those that shared their first night of married life together.

That, and it was kinda embarrassing talking about a mature situation like this. At least to him anyway.

"I know...but I want this more than anything. I want to be one with you." she said and entwined her hand in his; fingers laced together tightly.

Geo brought his head to hers as their foreheads touched and looked into her eyes lovingly. "Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve you."

"Funny..." she smiled. "I wonder the same about what I did."

Geo said nothing as he moved his head to meet Sonia's delicate lips into his, kissing her tenderly as she sunk into the feeling and kissed back passionately.

Geo's hands roamed as he held them to her back, holding her close to him while Sonia snaked her hands under his red sweater; her fingers gently sliding under the white t-shirt he wore as she moved them up his body to slide them off, Geo breaking the kiss in order to allow her to remove them as she tossed them to the side, careful to leave his star pendant around his neck.

Sonia grabbed the hem of her sweater as she began to slide it off, exposing her slim stomach, followed by her lavender-pink bra as they held her young breasts gently in the cups; her heart pendant sitting comfortable near the valley between them.

Now Geo was the one who couldn't take his eyes of her.

Sonia took a deep breath as she moved her hands around to her back and began to fiddle with her bra until she undid the clasps and she gently slide it off, revealing her firm C-Cup breasts as she stared back at him.

"Are they...big enough?" she asked shyly.

"That doesn't matter to me...but if it makes you feel better, I love them." he smiled as her face grew redder.

"You...you can touch them...if you want..." she said nervously.

Geo raise his hands and gently place it on the sides of her breasts, slowly caressing them before placing his full palm over them and holding them in his grasp, electing a moan from Sonia as her nipples hardened at his touch.

"Mmmm..." Sonia looked at him as she placed her hands atop his and gripped her breasts along with him; fondling her globes as he moved his hands enough to flick her nipples with his thumbs, causing her to lightly moan more.

Geo stopped this as he moved down to the waistband of her sweatpants and slowly began to tug them down as they slid down her legs, catching the waistband of her panties as well as Sonia moved enough to slide them completely off, leaving her completely naked in front of the man she loved.

Geo was speechless as he looked at Sonia's nude body; the sight of her causing him to become aroused as his cock hardened within his pants.

It was so quiet between the two, it seemed as if they could hear one another's heartbeat.

The realization of the situation finally kicked into her mind as Sonia realized her current state and did her best to cover herself with her hands and arms; just a minute ago she was glad that Geo liked how she looked, and now she was overcome with sheer embarrassment as she tried to hide herself from him. The tension and her emotions had gotten the best of her.

"No, don't..." Geo said as he grabbed her arms. "Don't hide yourself, Sonia...there's no reason to be embarrassed. There's no reason to hide your beauty from me. Here..." he said calmly as she looked at him while he moved her arms down to her sides.

"I...I'm nervous, Geo..." she said as her voice took on a shaking tone.

"I know...so am I..." he said as he took her hands in his. "Isn't everyone?" he said as he tried to comfort her.

Sonia just stared into his eyes as he reassured her all was fine. Now she knew she wasn't the only one nervous.

Geo pulled his hands out of hers and move to the waistband of his pants and slid them down his legs along with his boxers. He could feel his blood boil as he blushed uncontrollably once Sonia saw him completely naked.

"Oh..." Sonia blushed as she looked down at Geo's hard cock as it throbbed. She had only seen pictures back when she had taken Sex Ed in her junior year, but seeing one in real life was a different story. It was also quite awkward for her...it was Geo's after all.

She slowly reached her hand down to touch the shaft as she wrapped her delicate fingers around it, hearing Geo breathe heavily as he felt her touch him like this.

"It's...so big..." she said quietly.

"Maybe to you..." he joked a bit before moaning out a bit as she ran her hand up his shaft and to the head of his cock as her thumb and index finger touched the sensitive part of the organ.

Sonia saw how this made him feel, and began to slowly move her hand up and down his cock, hearing her boyfriend moan even more.

"Sonia...mmmm..." Geo groaned with pleasure as she continued her motions.

"Do you love it?" she asked him.

"It feels...so good..." he said as he breathed a bit heavily.

Sonia gripped his cock more and pumped it with her hand as fast as she could, trying to give Geo as much pleasure as she could.

"Oh...Sonia...ahhh..."

Sonia kept this up a bit longer before an idea came to her. She began to slow down her hand to keep Geo pleasured while she moved her head in closer before removing her hand and taking his manhood into her mouth and began to move her head up and down on it.

"Ohhh...S..Sonia...ahh..." Geo moaned out as his hands gripped the bedsheets as Sonia sucked him.

Sonia closed her eyes as she sucked his cock more, taking her time to please him, before she took her mouth off and opened her eyes up and looked at him.

"Sonia...?"

She said nothing and smiled as she moved back to his cock as she took the head and began to lick it with her tongue gently, resulting in Geo moaning out as he placed his hands on her head.

Sonia licked it gently, before moving her tongue up and down his cock, bringing it into her mouth and sucked on it before pulling it out and repeating the process.

Geo moaned out as Sonia continued her actions. He had never felt this way before. Sure he had pleasured himself while thinking of Sonia before in the past, but this was different; now his dreams were becoming a reality.

Sonia sucked Geo harder and faster as she could, wanting to make Geo feel as much pleasure as possible.

"Ohhh...Sonia...I'm going to..." Geo moaned out, but Sonia was oblivious to his cries.

Geo was lost in pleasure as Sonia continued on, but soon groaned out as he felt a tight pressure in his manhood and moaned out as he came in Sonia's mouth, catching her by surprise; she felt the sticky substance coat her mouth and causing her to gag a bit as some dripped out of her mouth, but once he stopped cumming, she pulled his cock out and swallowed what had remained in her mouth. It was warm, but also tasted salty to her; oddly though, she loved it.

Geo let out a sigh of relief as he propped himself up a bit and looked over at Sonia as she looked up to meet his eyes. "Sonia...I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..." he tried to speak but she extended her arm and placed a finger to his lips to silence him.

"Don't be..." she smiled a bit and moved up to lay beside him as she placed her hand on his chest. "You're...pretty tasty."

The two rested a bit as Sonia traced her finger over his chest gently.

"Do you want to see...how I taste?" she looked up and asked him.

"Only if you want me to." he replied, getting a slight nod from her as a response.

Sonia watched Geo moved down as she shifted so she was laying on her back atop the bed as Geo moved passed her legs before getting into place and found himself facing her pussy; nervousness overcame him as he hesitated to move in closer, until Sonia's voice calmed him.

"It's okay, Geo..." he could tell she was also a bit nervous, but he also knew she wanted this. Finally calming himself down, Geo moved his face to the lips of her womanhood and licked her gently, sending shocks of pleasure through Sonia's body as she threw her head onto the pillow and gripped the sheets as she moaned out.

"Do it again...please, Geo...mmmm..." she called out to him.

Geo replied to her request and licked her more, slowly moving in deeper as the pleasure sent Sonia on edge as she moaned softly; it was like music to his ears.

Geo spread Sonia's legs out as he licked her more before flicking his tongue faster against the tender flesh.

Sonia lightly thrashed about as her moans filled the room; loving every moment as Geo ate her out. She released her grip on the sheets as she moved one hand and ran it into Geo's spiky hair and used the other to cup one of her breasts, molding and grasping it in her hand and rubbing the hard nipple with her thumb to give her even more pleasure.

"Ohhh...Geo...more...please..." she moaned out as her lover dug deep into her body, loving the feeling of sexual ecstasy he was giving her.

He obliged and did so, licking her over as she grabbed his hair in her hand as she continued to buck back onto the bed, her moans driving him on as he continued to pleasure her.

"Geo!" she cried out as she finally came, her juices flowing out as Geo did his best to drink up her essence.

As her moans died down and her body relaxed, Sonia panted as she looked down at Geo as he rose up and moved up on the bed to rest beside her.

"Mmmm...that...felt so good..." she smiled faintly as she turned her head to face him.

Geo moved up beside her on the bed as he wrapped his arm around Sonia and held her close to him; the moon's light shining down on them.

Silence fell in the room as the two lovers held each other in their embrace; their fingers entwined as Geo ran his hand through Sonia's dark-pink hair as she kept her head to his chest; the minutes passing by as the two lovers rested.

Finally, the silence was broken as Sonia took a deep breath and crooked her head to look up at Geo.

"I'm ready Geo...make me yours...please." she said and nudged up to kiss him gently.

Geo took his hand and ran it gently across her cheek lovingly, staring deeply into her green eyes.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he replied as he felt her hand grip his tightly.

"I've never been more sure of anything before in my whole life...I want this, Geo...I want us to be whole." she said and looked up into his eyes as he stared back into hers; he could see those eyes were filled with want, need and passion. "Take me, Geo..."

He dove in as his lips met with hers once more; their tongues dancing with one another as they melted into their kiss before breaking it up as Geo rose to his knees and moved down to the bottom of the bed, slowly taking Sonia's legs into his arms as she relaxed and looked up at him as he moved his cock to her opening and took several breaths before looking back to the woman he loved.

"I heard it hurts for women their first time..." he spoke. "Just let me know if it hurts too much, and I'll stop."

Sonia shook her head lightly.

"After everything we've experienced, the pain will mean nothing...don't worry about hurting me, Geo...just love me..." she assured him as she smiled back. "That's all I want."

He nodded as moved closer as he began to slide his cock into her pussy, feeling the tightness of her womanhood give him pleasure.

"Ahhh...ngh..." Sonia groaned out in pain as Geo slid further into her body until their pelvises met, loving the feeling of his cock being deep inside her, but the pain of doing so overtook her feelings of pleasure; her eyes tearing up as she struggled to overcome it.

"Sonia..." he looked down into her face and could see her reacting to him entering her body; the sight of it close to breaking his heart. Despite her protests, he still felt like he was intentionally hurting the one he loved deeply.

"It...feels so big...ahhh..." Sonia groaned as the pain began to subside, but she knew once they began their act, it would only return.

Geo slowly began to thrust his hips back and forth; pumping himself deep into Sonia as he heard her angelic moans once more; they began to penetrate him, causing his urges to want to surge and thrust faster into her, but he was still reluctant.

"Don't hold back..."

He looked down at her as she raised her hand and clasped her fingers with his. As she did, she began to thrust her hips up to meet his, causing him to moan out lightly. The feeling of her clenching down on him as she met his thrusts felt perfect.

Sonia moaned out as she gripped one of her breasts and fondled it as she pushed Geo on into thrusting faster, relishing every moment.

"Harder..harder, Geo..." she uttered as Geo felt something within him drive him on as he thrust deeper and harder into her, groaning out as his cock melded into her pussy; pure, sexual ecstasy overtaking them as they made love.

Sonia winced as the pain returned and felt it wash over her whole body, but soon numbed down as pleasure overtook her; Geo had taken her virginity, small lines of blood escaping from her womanhood as it dripped onto the sheets, but it was merely an afterthought for the two lovers; they were drowning in passion.

"Yes...mmmm...yes..." Sonia moaned lustfully as she pinched her nipples hard, putting pressure on the tender flesh to give her even more pleasure. "Oh Geo...uhhh...uhhh...ahhh..."

Geo bent down as he darted to her breasts; her heart pendant moving atop her chest as their bodies rocked together, he took one of her hard nipples into his mouth and suckled upon it, flicking it with his tongue as he alternated between breasts.

"Mmmm...! Suck them, Geo...ohhhh...Yes! Yes! Yes!" she moaned as her hands moved to Geo's back, digging her nails into him as he thrust harder and faster as his body would let him.

As he suckled a nipple, his hand moved to the other and began to lightly pinch it as he felt Sonia dig into him, but the pain from her nails clawing at his back was non-existent to him.

Sonia drew her hands back as they landed onto Geo's head, sliding down to cup his face in her palms as she pulled him away from her breasts and pulled him into a lustful kiss as they made love.

Fatigue soon began to set in as the two lovers were becoming increasingly tired; their bodies not use to this sort of activity, but they did their best to hold out. Anything to keep the fire between them burning a bit longer.

"Oh...Geo...mmm..." Sonia moaned his name as she felt herself on the verge of orgasm.

"Sonia...ahhh...I'm..."

"Please Geo...cum in me, please!" she screamed out.

"Sonia...!" Geo groaned out as he felt himself cum into Sonia, her moans filling the room as she began to orgasm in reaction to Geo releasing himself within her.

Exhaustion soon overtook them as Geo lightly fell atop Sonia's body, feeling drained of his strength as their sweat-covered bodies laid atop the other; light panting filling the room as he mustered up enough strength to slide off his lover as they lay side by side, attempting to catch their breath.

"Mmmm..." Sonia lightly moaned as her body began to settle down and she tiredly moved over to Geo as his arm draped down on her, holding her close to him as her hand fell atop his chest; her fingers gently touching their pendants, the two objects having become tangled in the aftermath of their release.

Geo gazed up at the night sky through the skylight as he slowly turned his head to see Sonia's tired face looking at him; a faint smile being shot at him.

"Thank you...Geo..." she panted as her chest rose from her still breathing heavily as she was catching her breath. "I love you..."

He said nothing as he crooked his head a bit to take his lips into hers as they lightly kissed.

That was the last thing they both could remember; sleep began to overcome them and the two lovers eventually succumbed to slumber, blissfully in the light embrace of the one they loved the most.

* * *

"It sure is beautiful out tonight..." Lyra said as she gazed up at the night sky, snow gently falling down as it collected upon the roofs of the houses.

"I don't often agree you with, but yeah...it is, isn't it?" Mega replied.

"You do realize this means we'll be stuck to each other like glue now, right?" Lyra asked.

"Yea, I pretty much knew when the kid asked for that ring."

Lyra looked out into the sky as she sighed deeply. "Listen, Mega..."

This tipped the AM-ian off a bit. Was she really not calling him by his actual name for once?

"I...er..." she began to speak, but hesitated. "Nevermind..." she said, resolving to not even pursue the issue. Would it really matter if she even told him?

"You don't need to tell me...I know what's on your mind." he said solemnly. This caused Lyra to panic a little.

"I-I have no clue what you're talking about." she regained her composure; a bit flustered as well.

"You don't think I haven't noticed? I've seen you drift off in thought, your eyes always being focused on me. Not to mention I feel awkward every time I notice you looking at me." he retorted.

"Well excuse me for being in love with you, Omega-Xis!"

Now it was really quiet. Not even glass shattering could have broken the dead silence that was now filling the air between the two.

"I...I just don't know HOW to have feelings for someone..." he said.

"And just why is that? Has fighting been the only thing you've cared about!?"

"It's the only thing I've had since I was born!" he yelled.

Lyra stopped herself from replying as soon as she heard the tone in his voice. She could hear his anger in it, but she also sensed a touch of sadness mixed in.

"As far as I could remember, I've been on my own since the start; I don't have a clue who my parents are or were! I've grown up without anyone caring about me or anything I did. I've been alone since the start!"

He was abruptly struck in the head by a smack from Lyra.

"That is a lie and you know it!" she said as she looked up at him, fighting back her emotions and trying to prevent herself from crying. "You MAY have been alone in the beginning, but don't you even dare act like the past seven years didn't happen! You are not alone anymore...you have Geo, Sonia, everyone else...you have ME! So don't you dare say that you're alone...because we both know that's a big lie." she said as she finally gave up and couldn't hold back her tears any longer.

"Lyra...I..." he sighed as he finally settled out of his outburst and saw what his actions brought about. Everything she said was true; he had Geo and everyone else by his side, but more importantly, he now realized that even with all the constant bickering the two always found themselves in, Lyra always wanted to be there for him.

He moved over as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him, causing Lyra to break out of her emotional state as she realized she was firmly in his embrace; she slowly looked up to see his red eyes.

"Thank you, Lyra..."

She just smiled as she rose up to kiss the side of his face gently.

"I love you, Mega..." she whispered quietly.

"This is going to take some getting used to..." he laughed a bit.

Lyra could only smile as she rested in his arms.

* * *

The sun began to beam down into Geo's room as the two lovers rested with one another, basking in the warm light as they held each other close. They had been up for a small while, but refused to break the embrace they had. They just laid there, silent, no words needing to be said as remained entwined with the bed covers.

"That...was so wonderful..." Sonia calmly spoke, being the first to break the silence.

"I know...words just can't describe how I felt last night." Geo replied as he gently took Sonia's hand off his chest and kissed each finger.

"Mmmhmm...you and me both..." Sonia smiled as she kissed Geo deeply, the passion they felt from it feeling overwhelming to them. "Take me again, Geo...I want to feel us connected again..." she moaned softly.

Geo replied with another heated kiss, and before long, the two began to make love once more, giving everything they had to one another, yet neither of them knew of the hell that was about to transpire.

Next Arc: Dark Impetus


	2. Ch7 Dark Impetus, Part 1

Hey everyone, it's BassDS, and we're back as we narrow the gap in this little game of catching up as we enter the 'now' 2nd story arc of Shooting Star Lovers: Dark Impetus. Now granted, while my past neglectfulness caused hardly anything to be uploaded, I didn't fully abandon the story. To me, this arc is quite possibly the biggest high-point in the story for me, and it hopefully won't be the last. As such, if anything, all those long delays helped me to try and flesh out the plot as much as I could and carefully plan things out so that in the end, it was consistent and made sense, and ultimately, all around entertaining for you all. Granted I do still have some designs to draw up so I can properly describe a few things and don't shoot myself in the foot on something later on, so I may just do quick drafts of what I want those character designs to look like.

Now that we have that out of the way, it's time to start Dark Impetus; I hope you all enjoy it, because from here, the story arc is going to be a bumpy ride.

* * *

Shooting Star Lovers

Ch.7 Dark Impetus, Part 1 – Impending Storm

* * *

"Uhhh...mmmm...Geo...ahhh...ahhhh..."

Sonia moaned out as she rode atop Geo, feeling him deep inside her as she rocked back and forth, her hands placed on his chest as she mounted atop him, her eyes glancing down at him as he groaned out with a smile on his face, staring lovingly at her.

Geo originally came over to help Sonia pack her things and get ready to move her in with him and his parents, their impending wedding only a few short weeks away. They had begun to pack and was about halfway finished, but a small break turned into a make-out session, and before they both knew it, their bodies had submitted to the pleasure that was demanded of them.

"Mmmm...Sonia...ahhh.." Geo moaned out as his hand moved onto her hip, with his other gently fondling one of her free breasts as they jiggled with the friction of their bodies.

"Like that, Geo?" Sonia moaned lustfully as she dove down and kissed him hotly. "Mmm...I love feeling you inside me..."

"I'm glad...you do..." he panted and replied back as he thrust his cock up into her, hearing Sonia moan out more, the sound driving him on as she bucked to meet his thrusts.

"Ohhh...ahh...yes...yesss..." Sonia groan as she moved her hands to his shoulders and dug her nails into his skin as she began to reach her climax. "Ohh yesss...YESSS! Yes!"

Geo groaned out as his body gave in, feeling himself cum hard deep into his lover as she collapsed onto his chest, the two of them both panting heavily as they laid on the bed as Sonia lazily draped her arm over his stomach.

"Mmm...Sorry if I hurt you..." Sonia softly said as she pulled herself up on him and gently kissed his shoulder where she had dug into him.

"I was feeling too good to even notice. So don't apologize." he replied as he moved her bangs away from her eyes.

"Well, so much for packing." She giggled and rested her head on his chest.

Geo stared up at the ceiling as Sonia rested against him. He loved it when her bare-naked body was against his, skin against skin. It felt comforting to him.

"Just think...in two weeks, we'll officially be husband and wife; and on Valentine's Day of all days. It almost feels like a dream." she said as she looked down at her engagement ring.

Geo moved his hand to cup her chin as he tilted her head up and look him in the eyes.

"Well it's not. This is all real."

"Well..." she said as she propped herself up on her elbow and poked his chest. "YOU better not get cold feet and leave me at the altar."

"Like I could even try. You'd probably hunt me down." he replied.

"Mmmm...you got that right..." she said as she kissed him gently before they parted and Sonia had a hungry look in her eyes. "Ready for Round 2?" she asked lustfully as she lifted herself up and propped herself onto Geo's body.

"So soon?" he chuckled.

"Well let's be honest, we can't exactly go all out with your parents in the house." she lightly chuckled.

"There IS a thing called 'being quiet', you know, right?"

"You forget, baby..." she said as she slid down onto his cock once more and moaned out. "I'm a singer...and this voice can get very loud in a very short amount of time..." she said seductively.

"Alright, you've made your point..." Geo relented as a grin cracked on his face and he flipped Sonia over onto the bed. "Then let's try to enjoy each other as much as we can."

Sonia smiled gently as she began to moan out as Geo thrust into her as the two began to make love once again.

* * *

Deep within the dark sub-dimension below the Bermuda Maze:

"Uhh...mmm..."

The young girl's eyes slowly opened as she groaned and propped herself up as she looked out into the vast darkness.

"What...happened..."

" **You've been sleeping, my pawn. The time to act is now."** the dark lingering voice spoke out.

"Sleeping?" she murmured before her eyes widened and stood up. "That's right...you don't trust me enough..."

" **I trust you. I just couldn't let you jeopardize all we've set into motion first. Remember, I saved you. I own you."**

"Nobody own me!" she yelled out as she felt herself being consumed by a dark aura.

" **I would advise you not to speak out against me. Otherwise..."**

"Fine..." she groaned as the aura faded and she tried to catch her breathe.

" **I'm glad you see it my way."**

"Alright then..." she groaned, reluctant to submit to the dark being, but the odds weren't exactly in her favor, and she knew that. "What do you need me to do?"

" **Due to your...previous endeavors, one of them has tapped into the potential deep within them, but not completely. He needs to fully tap into his power, as well as the female. She has yet to realize the power within her, just as he is unaware of his. Their power is the key to releasing me."**

"Just how do you know about all this anyway? I at least deserve some answers." she demanded.

" **Remember your place..."** the dark voice commanded. **"Otherwise I will not grant you the vengeance you so desire. Now then, let us move on to the task at hand..."**

* * *

Several days later...

 _The young woman ran through the crowds as people screamed, her dark-pink hair getting in the way of her eyes as she ran, darting around corners and avoiding the maddening mobs as flames began to engulf the buildings, a black water-like mass flooding the streets and walkways as dark figures sprouted up from them and began to attack the fleeing people._

 _She kept running and running as fast as her legs would let her before tripping and falling to the ground, only to feel someone grab a hold of her hand as her eyes looked up and fell upon the brown haired man as he spoke to her, hearing nothing escape his mouth as the black figures rose up around them as she held the man's hand tightly as she could while looking at the dark figures that vastly outnumbered them,_

 _Without warning, one of the figures lunged for the man as he placed himself in front of the woman to protect her from the assault._

"No! DON'T!" Sonia screamed out as she woke up and rose from her and Geo's bed. She felt her heart beating fiercely as she was drenched in sweat as a result from all the feverish tossing and turning.

"What is going on with me?" she asked as she kept the blankets up to her chest as she rubbed her hands over her eyes. "What's with these dreams?"

Sonia felt her hand over on the other side of the bed to see if Geo was still there. She had been having these nightmares for the past several days, sometimes even waking her up in the middle of the night. This in turn would cause Geo to stir from his sleep and comfort Sonia, who at times would break out in tears from how vivid and real they felt. She could literally feel the shock of what would happen in the nightmares run through her body.

"Geo?" she spoke as she felt over and saw his spot empty, before her eyes turned to the clock displayed on her VG Ring as it read 9:18.

"Right...he had to stop in at his teacher's class to turn in his papers..." she sighed as her mind trailed back. Ever since the nightmares, she would try to be at his side whenever possible. Not because the nightmares scared her deeply, however.

What scared her was the man that was attacked in her dreams.

And she had good right to be. He was almost identical to Geo; at least from what she could make out. But she had never told him this; if only to keep him at ease. Sonia didn't want him worrying too much.

Sonia looked over at her VG Ring and was relieved that her screams didn't wake Lyra up. As much as she loved her, she was really in no mood to be comforted. She was already stressed out as it was.

Sonia sighed as she grabbed her robe from the small stand next to the bed and slid it over her body as she got up and moved over to one of the boxes holding some of her clothes as she rummaged through it.

"What I need is a nice, hot shower...that should calm my nerves a bit." she said as she grabbed a few clothes from the box and made her way to the door as she looked over and saw her wedding dress hanging in the closet.

"Maybe I'm just worried about the wedding; I've probably just been over-thinking things a lot lately. If so...this is one hell of a case of pre-wedding jitters." she tried reassuring herself as she made her way to the bathroom as she pressed the hot water button and turned the shower head on as she discarded her robe and nightclothes and let the warm water cascade down atop her as she tried to relieve some of her stress.

"But...why do those nightmares feel so real?" she murmured to herself.

* * *

"Wow...it's still coming down?" Geo said as he stepped outside the doors of the local university and buttoned his jacket up as snow lightly fell to the ground.

"Silly soft stuff, if you ask me." Mega yawned as he looked. "It's bad enough I feel so tired as it is, what with your girl waking me up with her screaming before the sun's even up."

"Hey, take it easy, Mega. You know it's not Sonia's fault. Nightmares are something beyond our control. It's natural." Geo replied as he looked over at Mega.

"Yeah, well I heard what she said; saying she was being chased by some kind of creeps made of ooze. She's had this same nightmare for the past four days, kid. THAT ain't normal, I tell you."

"Look, she's probably just nervous about the wedding. To be honest, I'm freaked out of my mind; that much pressure can affect anyone in different ways." he replied as he walked along the sidewalk.

"You better be right...I don't want this to become a recurring thing you know. It's bad enough I'm going to have to deal with Lyra 24/7 now thanks to you two."

"Oh, is that so?" Geo perked up as he looked toward Mega. "Then what was all the sleep-talking I heard from you not too long ago; if I recall, I kept hearing you say Lyra's name over and over." he smirked as the AM-ian's blue face took on a reddish tint.

"Don't even go there..." Mega said as he gulped heavily.

"Heh... I always knew you had bit of a soft spot in that heart of yours." Geo smiled.

"Just shut up and let's get home..." Mega reluctantly surrendered as he returned to Geo's VG Ring in defeat.

" _But still...Mega's right. Sonia's been having these nightmares for almost a week now...but even though she told me what happened in them, something tells me there's more to these dreams that she's not telling me."_ Geo thought as he made his way back home as the snow began to let up.

* * *

Meanwhile, at WAZA:

Ace sat back in his chair in the command room as he took a sip of his cocoa and sighed peacefully.

"On a cold day like this, this is just what the doctor ordered." he smiled as he relaxed and opened up an air display as he read over the reports written by some of the officers from their daily routines and checks to make sure all was in order.

"Everything seems to check out, Ace. Shall you require I do anything else?" Acid asked as he appeared on the wave screen.

"Double check some of the reports from a few days ago and see if we missed anything by some chance, Acid. Never hurts to be thorough."

"Very well; I'll begin combing the report databanks from the past three days." Acid said as he vanished and went to work.

"Sometimes, it can be pretty boring being the one in charge." Ace sighed as he took another sip of cocoa.

"Daddy..." came a small voice as he look to his side and saw Alexis with her hands on the arm rest as she looked wide-eyed at him. "Can I have some cocoa?"

He smiled as he looked down at his daughter; how could he say no to that face?

"Alright, come here." he said as he picked her up and placed her on his leg. "Careful now, it's hot." he said as he gently moved the mug to her lips and she began to almost gulp it down, despite the heat it gave off.

"Hey, easy there, you're not going leave any..."

"Thanks for the cocoa, daddy!" she giggle as she hopped down and ran out the room.

"Any...for me..." he sighed as he looked at the empty mug. "That girl is a sugar fiend..."

"Well, now I wonder whose fault that is?" came Tia's voice as she came up behind him as he placed the mug down on the desk.

"Don't look at me." he responded.

"This coming from the man who went on a caffeine binge on nothing but Mega Snacks for a whole day?" she retorted as she walked over to him. "She got that from you, you know, so don't even try blaming me. In case you forgot...it takes two to tango." she whispered in his ear gently as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Tia, not while I'm working..."

"Hehehe...I love embarrassing you." she said as she pulled away from him.

"Sometimes you do it a little bit too much, you know?"

"Well, get used to it. 'Til death do us part. Speaking of which, have you decided what you're wearing to the wedding?" she asked.

Before Ace could reply, Jack came dashing up the stairs from the command room's lower level as he made his way over to the two.

"Jack? What is it?" Ace asked as he looked toward his brother-in-law.

"You might want to see this." he said as he made linked his VG Ring up to Ace's monitor and a satellite map of Wilshire Hills was projected on it. "The scanner picked up a faint energy signal that we can't recognize."

"It's not an EM signature?" he asked.

"At first when I saw the data, I thought it was a glitch, but look; there are even more faint signals just like it popping up all over the place, and we can't get a visual on the city because the combined energy of these multiple signatures are completely screwing with the scanner." Jack explained. "I don't know what's going on there, but it can't be good. For all we know, it could be nothing, but with the scanner being thrown out of whack, there's no way to tell."

"That is a problem...we're already stretched thin around here." Ace replied as he pondered the situation.

"Think Geo would be willing to check it out for us?" Jack asked.

"Do we really need to bother him and Sonia with this? Their wedding is just a few days away." Tia added as she looked at Ace.

"We don't have the man power to spare anybody here. I'd have Solo check it out, but it's hard getting a hold of him, and you know how he is. Geo's our best bet right now. "I'll just have to find a way to make it up to him." Ace said as he activated the call function on his VG Ring and began to establish a connection to Geo.

* * *

Sonia was making her way downstairs when she heard the front door open as Geo's calm voice rang out into the house.

"Anyone home?"

"Just me, Geo." she replied as she walked into the foyer as Geo placed his coat on the rack.

"Mom and Dad still out?" he asked as he walked over to her.

Sonia shook her head in response. "No one was here when I woke up."

"Well, Spica Mall DID just finish renovations. Maybe Mom found a few new stores to go to. Kinda makes me feel sorry for Dad." Geo chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Sonia and kissed her tenderly.

"Ahem...you DO realize I'm here too, right?" Mega said with an unamused look on his face as he crossed his arms.

Both of their faces turned red as they broke their kiss and regained their composure from being wrapped up in the moment.

"Way to ruin the moment, Omega-Xis." Lyra scolded as she appeared next to Mega and slapped him in the back of the head.

"The hell was that for?"

Lyra just shot a glare at him and the look in her eyes quickly silenced him as they warped to the EM Hub in the living room.

"A-anyway..." Geo said as he balanced himself back from the slight embarrassment as they made their way over to the couch and sat down. "You feeling okay, Sonia? Didn't have that dream again, did you?"

"No, I slept well, actually. No nightmares whatsoever." she smiled gently at him, but deep down, she was filled with regret. She didn't like lying to Geo, and she didn't want to worry him, especially with the wedding not far off.

"Well, that's a relief." he replied as he gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "You're probably just stressing out, you know. Happens to everyone."

"Well..." Sonia softly replied. "What about you? Aren't you nervous about the wedding?"

"To be honest...I feel like a train wreck inside. It's scary not knowing what the future holds." he replied. "But I know that whatever happens, I've got you beside me to get through it." he smiled as he held her hand in his.

"We've been through a lot, haven't we?" she sighed as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"And whatever happens now, we'll go through it together."

"You've changed a lot, Geo..." she replied. "Definitely not the moody boy I first met."

"Well, I have you to thank for that, don't I?" he smiled as he looked down at her. "If you hadn't been so persistent, I probably would have never broken out of my emotional shell."

"You're right." she replied softly as she looked back up at him. "And I never would have been able to know the real Geo." she said as she gently placed her hand against his face. "Let alone think I would ever fall in love."

"Oh please kill me now..." Mega said, earning him a deadly scowl from Lyra.

Time seemed frozen for the two as they gazed into their partner's eyes, only for the silence to be broken by Geo's VG Ring receiving a call.

"Hmm?" Who could that be?" Geo said in wonder as he opened the call up as an air display appeared with Ace and Jack on screen.

"Hope we're not interrupting anything." Jack smiled evilly at the two. "After all, you two are looking pretty cozy there."

"Don't mind him. You know how he is." Ace replied as he looked at Jack.

"Hey Ace, everything going on okay over there?" Geo asked as he sat up.

"That's actually why I'm calling." Ace began. "Look, I know you guys are busy with getting the wedding ready and would like to spend as much time with each other as you can, and this might be nothing to worry about, but we're kind of shorthanded here at the moment and would like you to look into something."

"What's going on?" Sonia asked as she looked at the display.

"We've been picking up a weird energy signal at Wilshire Hills, and not only that, it's looking like there are multiple readings of this thing, but the odd thing is, this isn't an EM signature; it's something else. Problem is, we can't accurately scan this signal because it's been messing with the scanner every time we try to. Basically we're blind as a bat." Jack explained.

"It might not be anything to worry about, but I was hoping you could go to Wilshire Hills and check it out just to be on the safe side." Ace added. "I would ask Solo...but you know how difficult he is AND how it is to get a hold of him."

"Isn't that an understatement." Geo replied. "Sure, I'll check it out for you."

"Thanks." Ace said as he put his hands together. "I promise I'll make this up to you."

"Don't worry about it." Geo replied as he ended the call and got up off the couch.

"I hope it's not too cold out..." Sonia said as she looked outside and saw it starting to snow again.

"Well, Ace said there was a chance that it was probably nothing to worry about, so why don't I just go?" Geo said as he grabbed his coat and slid it on. "No sense in us both going.

"Are you sure you don't want me coming along, Geo?"

"I'll be fine." he said as he walked over to her. "I won't be gone long." he replied as he kissed her gently before turning to the hub. "Ready to go Mega?"

"Ugh...and just when I was getting warm too." he said as he reluctantly entered Geo's VG Ring as Lyra appeared beside Sonia.

Geo walked out the door as his hand touched his VG Ring and he transformed into Mega Man and walked over to the wave road ramp as Sonia's voiced stopped him.

"Geo, even if it is nothing...be careful, OK?" she said with a tone of worry in her voice.

He nodded back at her as he made his way up the ramp and dashed along the wave road.

Lyra watched as they dashed away before her attention turned to Sonia, a look of worry on her face.

"He'll be fine, dear. You know he will." she assured Sonia as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

"I know, Lyra...but something in my heart is telling me otherwise." she solemn replied as she thought back to the visions of her nightmares. "I just hope its wrong."

* * *

At Wilshire Hills:

High atop IFL Tower, a dark portal formed as the cloaked woman emerged and walked over to the edge and watched all the unsuspecting people going about their day, oblivious to the events that was about to unfold.

She looked down at them as her mind trailed back to the orders that she was given by the mysterious entity.

~Flashback: not too long ago~

" _ **My seal must be broken, and for that to happen, the power that locked me away must release me; the very same power coursing through their souls. Only then once I am free and have taken their power for my own, will you be able to exact your petty revenge."**_

" _And what am I to do, exactly?" she questioned him._

" _ **Capture and bring them to me. Their power still sleeps within, but this can be used to my advantage; I intend to use the energy they give off in the process of awakening their true selves to release me from my realm...and once I am free, I will rip that power from their bodies until they fade away into nothingness..."**_

" _Just what is this 'power'? I at least deserve some answers if I'm going through all this trouble." she barked back at the dark entity._

" _ **The Lights of Numeron..."**_

~End Flashback~

"I don't know what these 'Lights' are, and I really don't care. As long as I get my hands on Solo, I'll do whatever he wants." she said as her right eye began to glow and several more portals formed on the ground behind her; black mass began to rise up from them and started to take shape into almost human-like form, their long arms tipped with sharp points at the end instead of hands as they formed one after the other.

"Now then...let's try and flush out the prey, shall we?" she smirked as the glowing in her eye faded.

" _Just you wait, Solo...soon you'll know what death feels like: the same cold feeling I felt because of you, you damn murderer..."_


End file.
